Mohammad Nabi named Afghanistan captain after Rashid Khan steps down
After Rashid Khan relinquished his position as the skipper of the Afghanistan cricket squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, all-rounder Mohammad Nabi is set to lead the side into battle in the deserts of UAE.
After the appointment Nabi tweeted, “At this critical stage, I admire the decision of ACB for the announcement of leading the National Cricket Team in T20 Format. InshaAllah together we will present a great picture of the Nation in the upcoming T20 World Cup.”
At this critical stage, I admire the decision of ACB for the announcement of leading the National Cricket Team in T20 Format. InshaAllah together we will present a great picture of the Nation in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
— Mohammad Nabi (@MohammadNabi007) September 9, 2021
Rashid, who is the world’s top-ranked bowler in Twenty20s, decided to step down from captaincy after the spinner claimed that his “consent” was not obtained before announcing the squad which will start their campaign on October 25.
“As the captain and responsible person for the nation, I reserve the right to be part of the selection of the team. The selection committee and ACB has not obtained my consent for the team which has been announced by ACB media,” Rashid said in a statement on Twitter.
“I am taking the decision of stepping down from the role as the captain of Afghanistan T20 side effective immediately. It’s Always my proud playing for Afghanistan,” he added.
🙏🇦🇫 pic.twitter.com/zd9qz8Jiu0
— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) September 9, 2021
In the squad, wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad was also named in the squad. Afasr Zazai and Farid Ahmad Malik were included as the two reserve players.
Notably, Afghanistan is placed in Group 2 of the tournament alongside India, Pakistan, and New Zealand.
Afghanistan T20 Squad: Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Ghani, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Shahzad, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Naveen ul Haq, Hamid Hassan, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Qais Ahmed
